Media need to be more actively involved in working with citizens' appeals - A. Kosinets

May 5, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Alexander Kosinets urged regional media to more actively engage in working with citizens' appeals at a ceremony dedicated to Press Day, a BELTA correspondent reports. Now all receptions of citizens conducted by the governor will be held with the participation of journalists. According to Alexander Kosinets, this will demonstrate how the authorities respond to people's appeals and how they address vital issues that concern the population. "To convey honest and objective information to people is the main task of the media," he stressed. There are 57 media outlets operating in the Vitebsk region, including 25 state-owned newspapers. Of the 25 state-owned newspapers, 10 were profitable in 2009, and in the first quarter of the current year, their number increased to 13. "This is evidence of demand for their information and their competitiveness," Alexander Kosinets believes. The ceremony honored journalists from regional newspapers and television companies. The best newspaper teams and journalists were awarded the Francysk Skaryna Prize, and distinguished television companies received the "Vityaz" Prize. -0-